Buckle and method of making same



Feb. 12, 1929. 1,701,531

J. M. GLASER BUCKLE AND METHOD 'OF MAKING SAME Filed Dec. 29, 1926 Patented Feb. 12, 1929.

JOHN M. GLASER, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T J.

3. I-IAIwIE COMPANY, OF

BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

BUCKLE AND METHOD OF MAKING Sl-JIE.

Application filed December 29, 1926.

This invention relates to improvements in bucklesof the kind commonly used in connection with straps or belts, and more particularly this invention relates to buckles of this kind in which the frame or body portion is made of a wire or rod bent or formed into the desired shape, and also to methods of making such buckles.

The objects of this invention are to pro vide a buckle of this kind in which the body portion of the buckle is provided with an offset hearing or seat for the tongue of the buckle, which assures a smooth operation of the tongue of the buckle and also prevents the tongue from moving sidewise on the body portion of the buckle; also to devise an improved process of making buckles of this kind; also to improve constructions and methods of this kind in other respects hereinafter specified.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the mechanism for forming the body portion of the buckle embodying my invention in accordance with my improved process.

Fig. 2is a sectional plan view thereof on line 22, Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a sectional plan view thereof on line 33, Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a face view of a buckle embodying my invention, the portion ofthe tongue of the buckle'which bears on'the body portion I being shown in section.

F ig. 5 is a sectional view of the body portion of the buckle on line 55, Fig-6.

Fig. 6 is a face view of the body portion of the buckle before the tongue is attached thereto.

Fig. 7 is a'sectional view of the completed buckle on line 77, Fig. 4.

.The frame or body portion of the buckle as shown in Figs. 4 to 7 is made of wire and is in the form of a substantially rectangular loop having an end 5 to which the tongue 6 of the buckle may be secured, and which is generally fastened to one endof a strap or belt. The wire; or rod stem to form the sides 7 and 8 of the body portion of the buckle and the other. end 9 of the body portion is preferablyformed by bending the tWo ends of the wire loop'toward each other and this joint is preferably welded as shown at 10. The end 9 of thebody portion is preferably provided with the usual sheet metal Serial No. 157,802.

slee e 11 rotatably mounted on this portion of the body portion of the buckle and with which a strap or belt may engage and against which the free end of the tongue 6 rests. The other end of the tongue is preferably bent in the usual manner about tne middle portion of the end 5 of the frame member so that the tongue can swing about this portion of the frame of the buckle. All of these parts are of themselves old in connection with buckles.

will be obvious that it is desirable that the tongue 6 should remain centrally disposed on the body portion of the buckle and it is also desirable that this tongue should operate freely without binding on the body portion of the buckle during'the swinging of the tongue, and for this purpose in the particular construction shown, an ofiset bearing 12 is formed on the end portion 5 of the frame or body portion of the buckle.v This bearing portion 12 of the buckle is cylindrical in form so that the loop portion 14 of the tongue 6 can swing freely about the bearing, and the length of this cylindrical bearing portion 12- is slightly in excess of the width of the loop portion 14 of the tongue and terminates at the outer end of the buckle in crescent shaped shoulders 15 which serve tolimit the sidewise movement of the tongue on the body portion of the buckle. The other side of the bearing portion projects slightly toward the inside of the looped body portion of the buckle.

The body portion of the buckle is preferably formec from a straight piece of a suit able wire or rod 02, Fig. '1, by means of dies which bend the body portion around a mandrel, and the dies and mandrel are provided with parts which at the same time form the ofiset bearing portion 12, as shown in Figs. 1 to 3, in which A represents the mandrel having a recess a therein into which the inwardly extending portion 16 of the bearing part 12 forced during the formation of the body portion ofthe buckle. B represents a die having projectin portions or arms Z) and b which bend the sides 9 and of the buckle around the sides of the mandrel. The die B has a forwardly projecting portion 6 which is adapted to form the outer face of the bearing portion 12 and at the same time to form the shoulders by pressing the bearing portion out of alinement with the end member 5 of the body portion of the buckle. The portion or face of this projection 6 which engages the end-portion 5 of the body of the buckle to form the bearing portionlfZ is rounded in such a manner as to retain the cylindrical surface of the portion of the body portion engaged thereby, and since the opposite face 16 of the bearing portion 12 is not in any way deformed, but is simply pressed into the groove (4, this portion of the bearing retains the original cylindrical term of the wire or rod to. C and D represent laterally movable dies which bend the ends of the wire, from which the body portion of the'buckle is made, toward each other'to form the end :9 of the body portion of thebuckle.

My improved process consists of forming a wire or rod by means of dies about a mandrel and at the same time forming on one end ofthe body portion of the buckle an offset bearing portion of cylindrical shape to form aproperbearing for the loop portion 14 ofthe tongue of thebuckle which surrounds the bearing portion 12. This forma tion of theoffset bearing portion is effected by pressing a part of one end of the body portionof the buckle by means of a projectmn on the die which forms the sides of the body portion into a recess in the mandrel. The projection on the die is so formed as not to deforn the cylindrical surface of the material from which the buckle body is made, and

the recess a is of sufficient depth so that the portion 16 of the bearing 12 is not deformed by contact therewith, so that a cylindrical offset bearing portion results on which the tongue 6 of the buckle can swing freely. .By ofisetting the bearingportion 12 as described the shoulders 15 arealso formed, which limit the lateral movement of the tongue on the bodyof the buckle. By means of this process the formationyof the offset bearing portion 12 and the'shoulders 15 is effected in one opera? tion with the forming of the body of the.

buckle, thereby effecting a considerable saving in the'cost of producing buckles of. this kind, and also insuring .a' cylindrical bearing terminating in abruptshoulders which prevent binding of the tongue while swinging about its. pivoted connection with the end of the buckle. When the wire or rod in is bent about the mandrel by the arms I) and Z) of" the die B, the portion 5 of the body of the buckle tends to bend away from the adjacent face of the mandrel and in'accordance with my improved process the'straightening or bending ofthis part of the body'is effected simultaneously with the formation ofthe oifset bearing portion 12. After the body of the buckle with the ofiset bearing portion is formed, the tongue can be pivotally mounted on the buckle by bending the loop portion 1% thereof around the offset bearing portion.

,Gn buckles of this kind as heretofore made it'is customary to form the bearing for the tongue of the buckle in alinement with the side of the body portion of the buckle on which the tongue is pivoted, and then deforming portions of this side of the buckle at opposite sides of the loop of the tongue to prevent sidewise movement of the tongue vso By clency' of the tongue of the buckle tobind, r

and the tongue can consequentlyreadily be moved lnto either nsopen or closed position.

I claim as m y invention: I

1. A buckle'having a body portion formed of a rod, and a tongue pivoted on one end of the body portion, said end of the body portion having a bearing for said tongue formed therein intermediate of the ends of said rod and offset with reference to said end of said body portion. 1 c

2. A buckle having a body portion forme l of aro'd bent to form sides and ends and having a tongue pivoted on one end of said body portion and having the ends of the rod mee ing at the other end of said body portion, said body portion having said end thereof on which said tongue is pivoted formed to pro-t duce a bearing offset with reference to said end'of said body portion and terminating in shoulders which limit the lateral movement of said tongueon said bodyportion.

3. A buckle having a body portion formed of a rod bent to form the body portion. and having its ends meeting at one end of said body portion, anda tongue pivoted on the other end of the body portion, the middle portion of said last mentioned end of said body portion being offset with reference to other portions of said lastmentioned end and being substantially circular in cross section to form a bearing for said tongue, said ofiset bearing portion forming shoulders with said end at opposite sides of said bearing portion, which shoulders 'limit the lateral movement of said tongue on said end of saidbody por tion. a V

4. A buckle having a body portion formed of a rod of substantially circular cross section bent to form sides and ends, one end of said body portion'having a partfintermediate of said sides pressed out of alinement with other parts of said endand forming shoulders with adjacent portionsof said end to form an offset bearing which is of substantially circular cross section throughout its length, said bear of looped around said offset bearing portion and confined against lateral movements on said end of the body of the buckle by said shoulders.

5. The process of forming the body port-ion of a buckle consisting of bending a rod to form sides and ends of said body portion and and at the same time pressing a portion of said rod intermediate of the ends thereof out of alinement with adjacent portions to form a cylindrical offset bearing portion of substantially circular cross section terminating in stop shoulders and welding the ends of said rod together at the side of said buckle opposite to that in which said bearing portion is formed.

6. The process of forming a buckle consisting of bending a rod of substantially circular cross section to form sides and ends of the body portion of the buckle, deforming .a part of one end of said body portion intermediate of the sides thereof and between the ends of said rod to form stop shoulders, securing a tongue of the buckle to said end by bending a portion of said tongue around said bearing tongue is pivoted being ofiset with reference to adjacent parts of said body portion to hold said tongue against moving lengthwise of said body portion, and being located at a distance from said welded ends.

8. A buckle having a body portion formed by looping a rod and welding the ends of said rod together, a tongue pivoted on said body portion, the part of said body on which said tongue is pivoted being deformed to form shoulders at opposite sides of said tongue to hold said tongue against movement lengthwise of said part of said body portion, and being located at a distance from said welded ends.

JOHN M. GLASER. 

